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Stir-Fried Chili-Garlic Beef

Stir-Fried Chili-Garlic Beef

By Diane UngerJune 8, 2020

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    30 minutes
  • Rating

For this stir-fry, we like to use either beef sirloin tips (also called sirloin flap meat) or flat iron steak. No matter which cut you choose, it’s important to thinly slice the beef against the grain. This helps make the meat more tender because the muscle fibers are shortened instead of long and stringy. Use an electric spice grinder to pulverize the Sichuan peppercorns to a powder. Serve the stir-fry with plenty of steamed rice.

Tip

Don’t use regular soy sauce. The chili-garlic sauce also contains a good dose of sodium—combined with regular soy, the stir-fry may wind up too salty.

Ingredients
  • 1

    pound beef sirloin tips or flat iron steak, trimmed

  • 4

    tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided

  • 1

    teaspoon sichuan peppercorns, ground

  • 6

    tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided

  • 3

    tablespoons chili-garlic sauce

  • 5

    medium garlic cloves, finely grated

  • 4

    teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar

  • 2

    teaspoons toasted sesame oil

  • 1

    teaspoon white sugar

  • 1

    medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

  • 1

    large red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

  • Roughly chopped fresh cilantro, to serve

Step 1

Cut the beef with the grain into 2-inch pieces, then thinly slice each piece against the grain. In a medium bowl, stir together the beef, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and the Sichuan pepper.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 4 tablespoons of neutral oil, chili-garlic sauce, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil and sugar.

Step 2

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining neutral oil until barely smoking. Add half the beef in an even layer and cook without stirring until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir, scraping the pan, and cook, stirring, until no pink remains, 1 to 1½ minutes; transfer to a plate. Using the fat remaining in the pan, repeat with the remaining beef.

Step 3

In the empty skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil until barely smoking. Add the onion and bell pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the soy sauce mixture and any beef juices. Cook, stirring, until the liquid has thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the beef. Transfer to as serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.